Wire twisting device



A. c. GODDARD WIRE 'TWISTING' DEVICE Filed Jan. 29, 1945 QW QEHE Q INVENTOR. 6000A RD ASA O A TTORNE Y Patented Dec. 25, 1945 WIRE TWISTIN G DEVICE Asa'Ct Goddard, Mentor, Ohio, assignor to Jack & Heintz, Inc., Bedford, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 29, 1945, Serial No. 575,085

4 Claims.

This invention relates to hand tools-and has for its primary object to provide a convenient self-contained unitary hand tool so constructed and designed as to enable the operator to grasp the same with one hand to engage the work in much the same manner as would be effected by a pair of pliers and also twist the work if desired by means of a simple turning of the handle with the other hand.

Other objects are to provide a convenient hand lever on the barrel of the tool for engaging the tool jaws with the work and an improved leverage action whereby the minimum effort will maintain the jaws in engagement with the work while the other hand is free to rotate the jaws and additionally a simple locking means for locking the jaws in place against rotation to render the tool essentially the equivalent of an improved pair of pliers.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention resides in the combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter set forth in the following specification and appended claims, certain embodiments thereof being illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a View in longitudinal section taken through the hand tool showing the work engaging jaws in closed position;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the jaws in opened position;

Figure 3 is a view in cross sectionitaken along line 3-3 of Figure 2'; and

Figure 4 is a view in cross section taken along line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the tool includes a hollow cylindrical barrel I having a straight flange 2 at its front end-land a flared flange 3 at its other end. Slidably fitted in the barrel is a rod .4' that. has its front end cut away and tapered to terminate in a serrated jaw 5. Rod 4 is provided with a longitudinal rectangular slot to receive an elongated bar 6 of rectangular cross section against relative rotation. A cross pin pivotally secures the rod 4 and bar 6 together. The front end of bar 6 is tapered and terminates in a serrated jaw complementary to the other work clamping jaw 5.

Removably secured by a screw 8 to the under side of bar 6 is a metal leaf spring 9 near the other end of which is provided a cross pin I!) carried by rod 4 and bridging the slot 38 which receives the bar 6. The spring 9 resting on top of pin It! tends to force bar 6 upwardly. Forward of the barrel I, the rod 4 has suitably mounted thereon a collar I2 with side flanges I3 and 14 to receive a pair of ball bearing assemblies I5 and Ifi'mounted on pivot pins I! and I8 carried by forks I9 and 26 of a hand lever 2| also pivoted at 22 toa bracket 23 secured by a bolt 24 to flange 2 of the barrel I.

The rear portion of bar 6 is abruptly reduced in diameter and of circular cross section to rotatably receive a collar 25 having a rotatable circular flange 26 and at the end of the bar is a lever 21 held by a nut 28, to which lever is secured at 29 a handle 30.

To open the jaws 5 and I the hand lever 2| is manually rotated in a counterclockwise direction which by the engagement of the races of the ball bearing assemblies I5 and I6 with collar I2 and their pressure against flange I4 slidably retracts the collar I2 to the right-until it abuts against flange 2 of the barrel. Due to the fact that collar I2, rod 4 and bar 6 are tied together against relative linear movement by the cross pin II, this causes the rod and bar to be correspondingly slidably moved in the barrel as the leaf spring 9 maintains the rotatable flange 26 in contact with the inner surface of the open flared end 3 of the barrel.

To close the jaws,. the barrel and the lever 2.| are engaged by one hand to move the hand lever 2| in a clockwise direction untilit assumes the position shown in Figure 1. As the lever 2| pivots about pin 22 the ball bearing assemblies I5 and I6 riding in collar I2 bear outwardly against flange l3 to force the collar to the left away from barrel flange 2. The collar in its movement and by means of cross pin extending through the collar I2, rod 4 and bar 6, moves the rod and bar to the left. the inclined inner surface of flange 3. andpivots bar 6 about pin II against the action of leaf spring 9 forcing the jaw 1 upwardly toward jaw 5 as the flange 26 positions itself in the flange 3 of the barrel to a-position where the jaws5 and.

I positively grip the work, such as the wire 39 as shown in Figure 1. The tool thus far described is completely operable by one hand.

Should it be desired to operate the tool as a wire twister, or the like, when the wire is firmly gripped between the jaws, the handle 30 is turned by the other hand as the flange 26 rotatably bears against the inner flared surface of the barrel. Rotation of handle 39 causes a rotation of bar 6, which through pin II causes a rotation of rod 4' and collar E2. The hand lever 2| With its forks I9 and 20 remain stationary in the other hand as the collar I2 in its rotation engages the ball bearing assemblies I5 and I6.

This causes flange 2 6 to ride down.

Should it be desired to use the tool simply as a pair of pliers, provision is made to releasably lock the handle 30 and the rod 4, bar 6 and collar l2 against rotation but still permit operation of hand lever 21 to reciprocate the rod 4 and bar 6 to bring the jaws and 1 into the open position of Figure 2 or into the work engaging position of Figure 1. This releasable locking means may comprise a leaf spring 3! with an elongated slot 32 through which a set screw 33 extends to hold it on the top of the main barrel I. The leaf spring 3| carries at its other end a button 34 which fits into an elongated slot 35 extending through the barrel I. When the leaf pring 3| is in its rearmost position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the shoulder 36 of button 34 rests on the exterior of barrel I permitting the rod 4 and bar 6 to freely rotate. However, when the hump 3! of the leaf spring 3| is pushed forwardly to the left the shoulder 36 rides off of the barrel as the button 34 moves forwardly in slot 35. The bottom of the button then rests on the outer surface of rod 4. The handle 30 is rotated a partial revolution bringing the longitudinal slot 38, in the rod 4 into which slot the bar 6 fits, into alignment with the button and the spring action of leaf spring 3| snaps the button into slot 38 to lock the rod 4, bar 6, collar l2 and handle 30 against rotation. This, however, does not interfere with the operation of hand lever 2| in reciprocating the rod and bar to bring the jaws into the work engaging position of Figure 1 and into the retracted position of Figure 2.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that there has been provided a simple and efficient unitary self-contained tool which is useable as a pair of pliers, or as a rotoplier, for purposes of wire twisting, or the like. The leverage action shown and described is such that when the assembly assumes the work engaging position of Figure 1, little or no hand clamping pressure on the barrel and hand lever 21 is necessary to be applied to maintain the jaws 5 and I in firm engagement with the work whether the tool is used purely as a pair of pliers Or when the handle 30 is turned with the other hand when th tool is used as a wire twister, or the like, thus insurin proper functioning of the tool for its intended purpose and eliminating fatigue of the operator.

I claim:

1. In a hand tool, a main hollow body portion, a, pair of plier bars having work engaging jaws and pivotally connected to each other and slidably mounted in said body, a hand lever pivotally connected to said body and connected to said plier bars by means to effect sliding movement thereof outwardly into and inwardly out of work clamping position and permitting rotation of said bars independently of said means, said body having its rear end flared outwardly, one of said bars carrying near its inner end a rotatable member engaging the inner surface of the flared end of said body and a hand crank connected to said lastnamed bar for jointly rotating said bars when their jaws are in work clamping position.

2. In a hand tool, a main hollow body portion, a pair of plier bars having work engaging jaws and pivotally connected to each other and slidably mounted in said body, a hand lever pivotally connected to said body and connected to said plier bars by means to effect sliding movement thereof outwardly into and inwardly out of work clamping position and permitting rotation of said bars independently of said means, said body having its rear end flared outwardly, one of said bars carrying near its inne end a rotatable member engaging the inner surface of the flared end of said body and a hand crank connected to said last-named bar for jointly rotating said bars when their jaws are in work clamping position, said last-named bar having resilient means normally tending to force its jaw out of contact from the jaw of the other bar.

3. In a hand tool, a main hollow body portion, a pair of plier bars having work engaging jaws and pivotally connected to each other and slidably mounted in said body, a hand lever pivotally connected to said body and connected to said plier bars by means to effect sliding movement thereof outwardly into and inwardly out of work clamping position and permitting rotation of said bars independently of said means, said body having its rear end flared outwardly, one of said bars carrying near its inner end a rotatable member engaging the inner surface of the flared end of said body and a hand crank connected to said last-named bar for jointly rotating said bars when their jaws are in work clamping position, and releasable locking means carried by said body for engaging one of said bars to lock said bars again-st rotation.

4. In a hand tool, a main hollow body portion, a pair of plier bars having work engaging jaws and pivotally connected to each othe and slidably mounted in said body, a hand lever pivotally connected to said body and connected to said plier bars by means to effect sliding movement thereof outwardly into and inwardly out of work clamping position and permitting rotation of said bars independently of said means, said body having its rear end flared outwardly, one of said bars carrying near its inner end a rotatable member engaging the inner surface of the flared end of said body and a hand crank connected to said last-named bar for jointly rotating said bars when their jaws are in work clamping position, said last named bar having resilient means normally tending to force its jaw out of contact from the jaw of the other bar and releasable locking means carried by said body for engaging one of said bars to lock said bars against rotation.

ASA C. GODDARD. 

